How You Taste
by Follow-The-Firefly
Summary: In which Axel conducts an experiment that involves kissing Roxas. AkuRoku with implied Zemyx, MarlyVex and SoraXRiku. Rated T for Teen ONESHOT


**Disclaimer: If I need to say it, you deserve to go fall into a lake.**

**What's up? It's Zephyr, since I am changing my name, once again. I came up with this story a few days ago and it's taken a while to write. Only because I have a lot going on, obviously. This is in first person present, something I haven't done in a while, so I hope it's not dreadful. I had fun writing this, so I hope you guys have fun reading it. Let the deadly tale begin!**

I am swimming in the Hudson River with Hikaru Sulu and Mr. Spock when I hear _Killer Likes Candy_ playing from seemingly nowhere. I open my eyes and realize that I was dreaming.

If I'm seeing Hikaru Sulu and Mr. Spock, I'd _have_ to be dreaming, right?

I sigh and hit the snooze button on my iHome, which is using my silver iPod as an alarm. I'm about to turn over and go back to sleep when the door opens and hear footsteps on the hardwood floor.

"Wake up, Roxas."

Axel. I don't know why he feels the need to come and wake me up in the morning.

"Go away, Axel." I hide under my covers.

"We have class, you know." Axel pulls back the covers, which he knows I hate.

"I'm skipping today." I shiver slightly and pull the covers back over my head.

Perhaps I should say attempt to instead. Axel has a hand on the covers and prevents me from hiding from the world.

"Come on, babe." Axel says. "Zex and Dem are going to be here in less than an hour."

"Don't know why they have to come over." I groan as I get out of bed.

"Just get dressed, okay?" Axel rolls his eyes before he walks out of the room.

I take a few minutes to get ready. I go to the bathroom for a quick shower and to brush my teeth. After getting dressed, I walk out to the living room and find Axel reading some manga on the couch.

"Felt like some Breaking Benjamin today?" I say, gesturing to the stereo across the room, which is currently blasting _Follow_.

Our apartment is never quiet; neither of us can stand being anywhere silent. Axel just doesn't like it and I get too antsy if there's not enough noise. Because of this, we play music at all hours of the day. It's not so bad once you get used to it.

"I was listening to some Nightwish before you got up." Axel says, giving me a quick kiss before frowning.

"What's wrong?" I wonder.

"You taste different today." Axel explains.

"New kind of toothpaste." I say as I walk into the kitchen.

"I thought so." Axel returns to his manga.

"What are you reading this time?" I go back into the living room with a cherry Pop-Tart in hand.

"_Trinity Blood_." Axel answers

"Hey, don't you have your History of India class today?" I wonder, suddenly remembering one of Axel's classes. "It's almost 8:30."

"Professor's sick." Axel says as he reaches over for a pack of cigarettes resting on the coffee table. "She cancelled the class for today."

"Axel, what have I said about smoking?" I raise an eyebrow at him.

"Not to do it?" Axel lights the cigarette and takes a drag.

"Then why don't you listen to me?" I sigh.

"Because." Axel grins as he kisses me.

"You taste like smoke." I glare at him as I bite into my Pop-Tart.

"Gee, I wonder why?" Axel grins.

"You know I don't like the taste of smoke." I tell him, even though I've told him this before.

"If you say so, babe." Axel grins.

"And I do say so!" I exclaim.

The door opens and Demyx and Zexion walk in, backpacks slung over their shoulders, both looking like they'd rather not go to class today.

"You guys look like how I feel." I say before yawning.

"Why does it smell like smoke in here?" Demyx asks as he sniffs the air.

"Why do you think, Demyx?" Axel holds up his cigarette.

"Let's get going." Zexion says.

"Our class is cancelled, Zex." Axel says, taking a drag on his cigarette.

"But Dem and I have our class in twenty minutes." I finish one Pop-Tart and start on the next one.

"I'm raiding your fridge, okay?" Demyx walks into the kitchen.

"Why bother asking?" Axel's peridot eyes roll to the ceiling. "You're going to, anyway."

"Let's get going, huh?" I grab my _FullMetal Alchemist _messenger bag from the kitchen and am about to head out the door when Zexion grabs the back of my hoodie, stopping me in my tracks.

"Do I need to take you two as well?" Axel puts out his cigarette in the ashtray and faces Zexion.

"Nah, I got my car yesterday." Zexion replies. "Honda Accord."

"So you can take your insane boyfriend to class now." Axel said, punching Demyx lightly in the arm.

"Why are we even driving today?" I ask, looking at my boyfriend.

"Because it's meant to be raining later." Axel says.

"Hey, are you guys going to the commons for lunch today?" Demyx asks as he comes back from the kitchen, munching away on one of my granola bars.

"We always do, Dem." I say. "Why would today be any different?"

"Isn't today your two year anniversary?" Zexion's eyes go back and forth between me and Axel.

Well, damn. I'd completely forgotten about it. And judging from the look on Axel's face, I'd say he'd forgotten about it, too.

"You _both_ forgot?" Demyx yelps in surprise.

"I've been busy with papers, Demyx." I tell him. "It's not exactly easy being an English/ History double major."

"And the minor in theatre doesn't help, either." Zexion says.

"Got that right." I sigh.

Demyx turns to Axel and says, "So what's your excuse?"

"I've been busy at work." Axel says.

"You're with computers for IT!" Demyx exclaims. "How hard can it be?"

"Demyx, clearing a computer from viruses isn't exactly like picking daisies." Axel grabs his bag and follows the rest of us outside, locking the door behind him.

"But how could you _both_ forget!" Demyx exclaims.

"Dem, they probably don't think of each other all the time." Zexion says as we walk down the hall and down the steps.

"Axel, did you ever get your car fixed?" I ask him, knowing that his car is always breaking down on him.

'"Got it back yesterday while you were in your Bio lab." Axel says happily.

"I thought it wasn't supposed to be done until next week?" Demyx frowns.

"That's Marluxia's car, Dem." Zexion rolls his eyes as the two get into the Honda.

Axel rolls his eyes and gets in the car, where I'm already waiting for him.

"Are you about ready?" I ask him, shuffling through the songs on my iPod.

"Yes, honey." Axel says as he gently presses his lips to mine. "That's odd."

"What is?" I frown as Axel starts the car.

"You taste differently." Axel says accusingly.

"I just ate a Pop-Tart, babe." I tell him.

"I don't usually notice that you taste differently." Axel says as he pulls the car out of the parking lot and onto the street.

"Well, how dare you, Axel!" I pretend to be annoyed. "I notice every time you taste differently."

"Really?" Axel glances at me.

"Of course not!" I exclaim.

"Well, now I feel some kind of obligation." Axel tells me.

"Obligation to what?" I ask, noticing how strange this conversation is.

"See how you taste throughout the day." Axel says as he pulls into the parking lot behind the science building.

"So the only time you'll kiss me is when you want to see if I taste different?" I raise my eyebrows at him before getting out of the car.

"No, but I'll certainly take notice." Axel smiles deviously.

"I have to get to class." I say as I head towards the science building. "You could work on your paper for Vikings."

"Oh yes, because I just _love_ writing essays about the sagas of the Vikings in my spare time." Axel rolls his eyes.

"Just go get some work done, babe." I tell him.

"I will, don't worry." Axel gives me a quick kiss before I head off to my Astrology class.

I'm one of the first in the room, the only other occupant in the room being Demyx. He's texting someone on his phone, something that doesn't surprise me in the least.

"What's going on, Dem?" I ask as I sit down next to him.

"Texting Marluxia about lunch today." Demyx says."Vexen's going to join us."

"Who's Vexen?" I ask.

"Marluxia's boyfriend." Demyx informs me as other students start to wander into the room.

"Have I met him?" I wonder as I take out my notes and start to draw on the front cover.

"They've only been going out for a week, so probably not." Demyx says. "Oh, wait!"

"Yeah?" I ask as I trace a heartagram on my notes.

"You met him at lunch last week, remember?" Demyx reminds me. "The day after they started going out."

"Demyx, I don't remember!" I exclaim. "How am I meant to remember such things?"

""Okay, okay, don't start yelling, Roxas." Demyx says. "Man, I wish Zexion was here."

"You see him every day, Demyx." I tell him. "Don't you two ever spend time apart?"

"Aside from class, not really." Demyx answers. "Do you and Axel?"

"Sure." I nod. "If we spent too much time together, that could affect our relationship."

"So you're telling me you don't spend a lot of time with him?" Demyx raises an eyebrow.

"I never said that, Demyx." I sigh. "I spend as much time with Axel as I need to."

"Okay, just making sure." Demyx seems satisfied now.

"Shouldn't you be worrying about your relationship with Zexion instead of mine with Axel?" I wonder.

Demyx never answers my question because at that moment, the professor walks through the door, ready to start class.

Class was fairly boring today; I spent most of the lecture drawing in my notebook. When class is done, I walk over to the foreign language building for my German class. I am about to walk inside when I hear someone behind me.

"Hey, Roxas!"

I turn around and see Axel walking towards me from the library. He looks tired, as though he'd spent the last hour skimming books about Vikings, which I hope he'd been doing.

"What's up, Axel?" I ask. "Isn't your class on the other end of campus?"

"Yeah, I just thought I'd drop in and say hi." Axel says, giving me a quick kiss. "Hmm, peppermint."

"Gum in class, Axel." I tell him.

"If you say so." Axel smiles mischievously. "I'll see you at lunch, then."

"Later, babe." I tell him as I walk into the building.

When I reach my classroom, I find that Yuffie's already started annoying Tidus and Wakka by playing rap on her phone. That seems to be a tradition with her.

"What's up, Roxas?"

I turn and see Marluxia and Xigbar sitting in our usual spot by the window. Saïx and Xemnas aren't here, so I think it's safe to assume that they're skipping class today.

"Where are Saïx and Xemnas?" I ask, sitting down in my usual seat next to Xigbar.

"Skipping" Marluxia confirms what I'd been thinking.

"Are they together yet?" Xigbar asks me. "They've been obvious enough about it, huh?"

"I don't really talk to Saïx that much and I can't stand Xemnas, so I have no idea, Xigbar. And Marluxia," I turn around and face Marluxia, "Why is Vexen eating lunch with us?"

"I figured it was a good time for him to meet everyone." Marluxia replies.

"Wait, Marluxia, you mean you _haven't_ told everyone you know that you have a boyfriend?" Xigbar raises an eyebrow.

"Not yet." Marluxia shakes his head.

"Are you feeling okay, Marluxia?" I laugh, knowing how strange this is for him.

"I'm perfectly fine, Roxas." Marluxia assures me.

"So have I met this Vexen yet?" Xigbar asks, flicking a pen in the air and catching it.

"If you actually showed up to your Chemistry classes, then you would." Marluxia answers coldly. "You and Vexen are in the same class."

"Say what?" Xigbar is obviously surprised by this. "Wait, is Vexen the one that's always in the back of the room reading his textbook?"

"That'd be him." Marluxia nods.

"_He's _your boyfriend!" Xigbar exclaims.

"Yes, Xigbar, he's my boyfriend." Marluxia says.

"Why in _hell_ would you want him to be your boyfriend, Marluxia?" Xigbar demands.

"Because I find him attractive." Marluxia responds.

"Obviously, Xigbar." I tell him. "Isn't that obvious?"

Our conversation is cut short, however, because the professor decides to walk into the room and start class. The class time is spent learning how to conjugate more verbs and nouns, something I hate doing.

After German is over, I find myself walking over to the auditorium for my history lecture about the Russian Revolution. Our class has to be held in the auditorium because a regular classroom is just too small for the entire class.

Our lecture was fairly boring today, which it usually is. I'd hoped we would finally get a chance to talk about the royal family a little bit, but no. We had to go on about the bloody army again.

I'm quite relieved when my history lecture is over because that means that I can finally go get some lunch. Axel and I always eat lunch in the commons partially because Axel loves the food, but the main reason is because our friends eat there as well.

I swipe my ID card to get into the commons and make my way through the sea of people to the back room. While there are several rooms, my group of friends seems to like being in the back room. Maybe that's because we can be as loud as we want without earning ourselves disapproving stares from the other students.

"It's about time, Roxas." I hear Demyx exclaim as I walk into the room.

Demyx is joined by Zexion, who is sitting next to Marluxia and Vexen, who are across the table from my brother, Sora, and his boyfriend, Riku. Xemnas and Saïx must not be eating with us today; they'd be here by now if they were. I'm not surprised by Kairi's absence. She has class until two in the afternoon, so she can't usually join us for lunch.

I claim my usual chair beside Zexion and say, "I kind of had class before this, Demyx."

"Excuses, excuses." Demyx shakes his head.

"Where's Axel?" Riku frowns, noticing that I'm not with him.

"I didn't see him on the way here." I shrug. "You know how he is."

"Yeah, happy two year, Roxas." Sora tells me.

"Thanks, Sora." I nod. "Glad that Demyx reminded me. I would've forgotten otherwise."

"You _forgot_?" Sora exclaims, looking horrified.

"I've been busy, Sora." I tell him.  
"How do you just forget your two year anniversary with your boyfriend, Roxas?" Marluxia wonders.

"Why are you even in the conversation?" Demyx wonders.

"Why are you?" Riku challenges.

"I'm ending this now, okay?" I sigh, knowing where this will go if I don't stop it now. "Anything good for lunch?"

"Chicken strips." Marluxia says.

"Ooh yea." I roll my eyes.

"What's wrong with chicken strips?" Vexen speaks for the first time.

"They have them, like, every other day." I sigh. "I'd just like some variety."

"You could always go eat back home." Zexion suggests.

"True, but then I'd have to walk back here for my next class." I say before heading to the serving area to get some lunch.

After I get my lunch, I go back to the table and find that Axel's arrived while I was gone.

"How long have you been here?" I ask, giving him a quick kiss.

"Just got here." Axel says. "Hmm...orange soda today?"

"I just took a sip." I show him my glass of orange soda.

"Interesting." Axel grins before walking off.

"What was that all about?" Sora frowns.

"Axel is holding a little experiment to see how I taste throughout the day." I explain warily.

"Why?" Vexen asks before he bites into his pasta salad.

"Because he's insane?" I shrug, dipping my chicken strip into the honey mustard cup near my orange soda.

"But that doesn't explain why he wants to conduct this experiment." Zexion frowns.

"Does he usually do this?" Vexen asks.

"Not at all." Sora tells him.

"I have a feeling I failed my Psychology exam." Riku sighs, changing the subject.

"You were up studying until three in the morning." Sora says, his eyes on his boyfriend,

"What was it on this time?" Marluxia asks as he dips a French fry into a glob of catsup on his plate.

"Study of dreams." Riku pinches his fingers on the bridge of his nose. "Freud."

"Interesting." Demyx says.

"What is?"

I turn around and see Axel walking back with a small plate of chicken strips in one hand and his usual glass of Mountain Dew in the other.

"Riku's psych test was about Freud." Marluxia fills Axel in.

"I see." Axel smiles as he sits down next to me.

"Did you get your paper finished, Axel?" Sora asks as he salted his fries.

"Almost." Axel answers.

"I thought you were almost done last night?" I ask, my eyes on him.

"All I need to do is write the bibliography and e-mail it to the professor." Axel informs me.

"Oh." I say, completely surprised.

"So who's the new guy?" Axel asks as he gestures to Vexen.

"Axel, this is my boyfriend, Vexen." Marluxia says. "Vexen, this is Axel."

"Pleasure." Vexen nods towards Axel.

"Same." Axel nods back.

"So what's this I hear about an experiment, Axel?" Riku looks at Axel with a look of confusion.

"An experiment?" Axel frowns and his eyes turn to me.

"Your kissing experiment, love." I tell him, ripping a chicken strip in half before dipping it in honey mustard.

"I just want to see how he tastes throughout the day." Axel says, biting into a fry.

"Isn't that a bit weird, though?" Demyx says.

"For Axel?" I ask. "Not at all."

"Axel, did you forget about your anniversary with Roxas, too?" Sora asks suddenly.

"Yeah." Axel nods as he dips a chicken strip in my honey mustard.

"You're kidding. You have to be." Sora shakes his head. "_Both _of you can't have forgotten."

"Well, I did, Sora." Axel says slowly as if he was speaking to a third grader. "I've had a lot going on lately."

"Sure, Axel." Sora rolls his eyes. "You're about as busy as Demyx."

"I heard that!" Demyx exclaims angrily.

"I actually have a job, Sora." Axel says before biting into a chicken strip.

"Oh yeah." Sora says. "I forgot that."

"You never remember anything." Riku says as he pats Sora on top of the head.

"I do so!" Sora exclaims.

"Do you?" I raise my eyebrow.

"I remembered to study for my Italian exam yesterday." Sora says.

"But that's only one thing." Zexion points out.

Vexen turns to Marluxia and asks, "Are they really arguing about how forgetful Sora is?"

"Trust me Vexen, this is just the tip of the iceberg." Axel says as he takes a drink of his Mountain Dew.

"Axel, you're the one who makes us weird." Demyx says.

"Like you don't, Demyx?"

I turn around and see Xigbar and Saïx walking into the room. Saïx is carrying a large medical textbook and Xigbar is carrying a plate of chicken strips and pasta salad.

"What are you two doing here?" Marluxia asks, his eyes going back and forth between Saïx and Xigbar.

"Xigbar's forced me to be here." Saïx said, sitting down next to Vexen.

"Like it would kill you to be sociable, Saïx." Riku smiles.

"I would." Saïx brushes his hair from his eyes.

"Where's Xemnas?" I ask, noticing his absence. "You two are hardly ever apart."

"He's back in his dorm room." Saïx explains. "He claims to have a massive headache and went to sleep it off."

"He sleeps enough anyway." Vexen sighs.

"Are you two together yet or what?" Sora asks, biting into a chicken strip.

"I'm asking him tonight." Saïx says. "After we finish studying for our Microbiology exam."

"How romantic." I can hear the sarcasm in Axel's voice.

"Not really." Demyx says.

"Dem, he was kidding." Zexion says.

"Oh." Demyx says. "I knew that."

"Sure you did." I stand up. "I have to get ready for my next class."

"Which one's this?" Marluxia wonders.

"Chaucer." Axel answers for me.

"Roxas, I didn't know that you were having Axel answer for you." Riku snickers.

"Oh, shut it, Riku." I glare at my brother's boyfriend. I turn to Axel and say, "See you back home, then."

"See you, babe." Axel gives me a quick kiss before I head off.

* * *

I open the door and walk into the apartment before throwing my bag on the floor. My Chaucer class was especially difficult today. We discussed the Nun's tale, which isn't all that interesting.

Then again, I don't really like Chaucer, so that might have something to do with it.

I turn on the TV and the PlayStation and start playing _Final Fantasy X-2_ for a few minutes before deciding to turn on the Wii and play _The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess_.

I've been playing for about an hour before deciding to stop playing. I remember I got a new manga series from a nearby bookstore and I want to start reading the books that I got. About two hours later, around six, I'm reading _Kuroshitsuji _when Axel walks in. He looks very surprised to see me, though I don't know why. I mean, I _do _live here.

"Why are you here?" Axel asks, throwing his bag on the ground next to mine.

"I live here?" I phrase my response so that it sounds like a question. "How was work today?"

"Sometimes I wonder why I still work there." Axel flops down on the couch next to me.

"That bad, huh?" I know how taxing Axel's job can be.

"This girl came in wondering why her computer wasn't turning on. We kept asking if she charged the battery and she kept saying yes." Axel says.

"Let me guess..." I say slowly.

"So we plug it in and turn it on to find out the battery was dead." Axel sighs. "Just like we told her."

"And you wonder why I find people to be annoying." I say with a smile.

"Hopefully not me." Axel says.

"No, not you." I shake my head.

"That's good." Axel kisses me before saying, "Cherry?"

"I had a cherry popsicle a little while ago." I explain. "Have you finished this experiment?"

"I have concluded that you taste like a variety of things throughout the day, but all of them are pleasant things." Axel sounds way too much like Vexen. Or maybe Professor Hojo.

"Well, I'm glad that I have your approval." I say with a smile. "So, did you really forget our anniversary was today?"

"Yeah." Axel admits sheepishly. "You?"

"I shouldn't have, but I did." I answer.

"I don't feel so bad, then." Axel says.

"Gee, thanks." I pretend to be angry with him.

"Love you, too." Axel says as he wraps his arm around me.

"So we don't have any plans for tonight?" I look up at him and stare into his eyes.

"Even if I did, I'm way too tired to go through with them." Axel shakes his head.

"It's probably for the better, too." I say.

"What do you mean?" Axel frowns.

"There's no sense in using up a ton of money when we still have to pay rent on this place." I say. "And I know that I don't need to be in a fancy place to enjoy your company."

"Well, that's good." Axel laughs.

_Heartkiller_ echoes throughout the room, much to our surprise. Recognizing it as his ringtone, Axel pulls his phone out of his pocket and answers the call, but not without first checking the caller ID to see who was calling him.

"What's up, Zexion? I assume there's a good reason why you're- yes, we're home right now, why?" Axel asks. "Wait, Zexion, what are you- shit!"

"He hung up on you?" I assume.

"Yeah." Axel nods. "I have no clue what he's up to."

"This _is_ Zexion we're talking about, Axel." I tell him. "You know he's an enigma."

"Fair point." Axel shrugs.

At that moment, the door opens and none other than Zexion walks inside with Demyx following not far behind him.

"What's going on, Zex?" Axel asks warily.

"One of the fraternities is having a mixer with one of the sororities tonight and Xigbar was going to go crash it." Zexion informs us.

"And?" I raise my eyebrows.

"So we kinda need to stop him, Roxas." Demyx says, his arm around Zexion's waist.

"I'm too tired to care right now, Demyx." Axel sighs. "I just got back from work."

"I figured you'd want to go have a drink or two, Axel." Zexion says.

"I think I'm too tired for that right now." Axel says. "I could use a smoke, though."

"Like Roxas is gonna let you do that." Demyx laughs.

"As long as he smokes outside, I don't care." I say. "And as long as he doesn't taste like smoke."

"I bet you've had that argument before." Zexion says.

"Oh yeah." Axel sighs. "But we're still not going, Zex."

"You know Xigbar's going to get totally plastered." Zexion says.

"So have Xaldin be his designated driver." Axel says.

"Walker." Demyx says.

"Demyx, who's ever heard of a designated walker?" I wonder.

"With some people, they need it." Axel says.

"You'd know." I smile.

"Notice that I haven't gotten that bad, babe." Axel tells me.

"Oh, I know." I nod.

"Okay, well come on over if you change your mind." Zexion says. "God knows we're going to need it."

"Give us a call if it gets too bad and we'll come help out." I say.

"I'll hold you to that." Zexion says and he and Demyx leave.

"It'll certainly be interesting tonight." I say.

"Xigbar's going to get completely wasted." Axel sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Is there ever a party where he doesn't?" I ask seriously.

"Probably not." Axel shakes his head. "He'd die if that were to happen."

"Don't I know it." I say.

"So what do you want to do tonight?" Axel asks me.

"Well, I have a little experiment in mind." I smile deviously.

"Oh no." Axel says warily. "This can't be good."

"I'd like to see how you taste now." I tell him, pressing my lips to his. "If you don't mind, that is."

Axel smiles and says, "Nothing wrong with that."

**Abrupt ending, I know. I realized that I wrote Roxas kinda like me, which scares me a little bit. It was completely unintentional, believe me. This is kinda like how my first year of college was, but not as chaotic. At times. ^_^ So that's it. I hope it wasn't too bad. Reviews equal love. Thanks for reading!**


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